Burgher girls look to seniors for leadership

WARRENSBURG-Softball has a deep legacy in Warrensburg, beginning in the 1980s and reaching a pinnacle in the mid-1990s when the pitching-catching combination of Sara Rumrill and Kim Lamy took their team to the state championship finals.

In the process, they showed other schools in the region how competitive and aggressive softball could be.

Since those years, the enrollment at Warrensburg High has been declining, but year after year, legendary coach Mary Ann Bump has inspired her teams to play at their very best, and they've managed to almost always rank in the top half of the Adirondack League.

Bump is sidelined this year due to an injury, and her long-time associate Brent Bertrand has taken over the lead coaching role.

This year's team has a talented trio of returning seniors - Kate Kuklinski, Molly-Kate Webster, and Lindsay Wood - who will be mentoring their new team members and classmates Emily Winslow and Chanel Barboza alongside the younger athletes. All team members, Bertrand said, have been working hard together on defensive skills as well as connecting with the ball to light up the scoreboard.

In a recent practice session, Bertrand gathered the group for a pep talk after some fielding practice.

"You guys really have to believe in what you can do, and come in focused every day," he said. "Then you can achieve whatever goals you set your mind to."

Bertrand sent them back to their work.

"It will be a rebuilding year," he remarked. "But it should be a lot of fun to watch this team develop in future years."